A.N.A.-Election of Officers. The half-yearly meeting of the Warra gul Branch of the A.N.A. was held in the Athenmum Hall on Tuesday evening last, Mr. H. V. Howell, president, in the chair. There was a large attendance of members, and great interest was taken in the election of the office-bearers for the ensuing six months after the transaction of the ordinary business. Three new benefit members were ballotted for and duly elected, viz., Messrs. G. Phillips, J. Cook, and J. M'Nab; Mr. J. Mansey was pro posed as a benefit member. The election of officers was then proceeded with, and resulted as follows ::---resident, H. r.V Howell, re-elected unopposed; vice president, A. C. Lewis; treasurer, P. G. B. Davis; secretary J. M. Steedman, un opposed; Assistant Secretary, T. E. 7O'Donoghue; auditors, J. H. Gerrand and E. M. Gibbes; committee, R. Hillard, R. M'Naughton, E. Aspinall, J. B. Witton, and j. Curley; The president and Mr. R. Hillard then referred to the paragraph. which had appear...

Oration at Warragul. . The Moe H1l1 was crowded on Tuesday night last, when a lecture on the life and works of Thomas Moore, the celebrated Irish poet,- was. delivered by ..the Rev. M. More Hallinan, who, from the beginning to the close of the oration, was listened to with marked attention. At intervals during the progress of the lecture the rev. gentleman, assisted by Mr A. Rice of this town, and Mr 'Norris, gave several of the poet's songs, which were highly appreciated by the audionce. The accompaniments were most efficiently played by Mr. Dodds. The oration is to be re-produced at Warra. gu to-night, and judging bT the programme advertised in thie issue, will be of a very diversified and entertaining character. It is therefore anticipated there will be a very large attendance. L3tter from Mr. J. Picken re a new insect which is attacking the Norfolk Dinesc and wattles in the district will appear in our Psca iaue,,

TABLE MANNERS., THEIR ORIGIN. [Lirrescorr's MAOAA-ziE.] HTow did tablo manners arise? Where id d they come from? Like Topsy and other human institutions, they " just growed." And it is surprising how slow of development has been the sentiment ot oleanliness and neatness, which was the principal cause of the invention of the implements and dishes i used in serving food and in eating. In good old paleolithic times, when human beings were always within twenty-four hours or starvation, man ate only with his fingers. The origin of the spoon is un certain. It must have been invented at a very ancient date, for it is found among people that have never come into contact with civilisa- I tion: The necessity of having some imple ment for dipping water seems to have led first to the invention of the calaebash, or the use of the cocoanut shell and later on to the spoon. We must wait I four thousand years before we find the fork. Or, as a French writer on te.ble etiquette has said, " from the cr...

Beekeeper's Notes. A corrrespondent in the "Edinburgh Even ing Courant" adopted the use of chloroform is the robbing of his hives, We take it to mean ekep or box hives, and thathe has only a lew of them. We give the extract as being more interesting than practical, especially in a largo apiary. It is as follows:---The quantity of chloroform required for an ordinaryhive is the sixth part of an ounce; a very large hive may take nearly a quarter of an ounce. My mode of operation is as follows :-I set down a piece of wire gauze to prevent the bees from coming in immediate contact with the chloroform, and in this plate I pour the chloroform. I now quickly and can tionsly lift the hive from the board on which it is standing, set it down on the top of the table, keeping the plate in the centre: cover the hive closely up with cloths, and in twenty minutes or so the bees are not only sound asleep, but, contrary to what I have seen when suffocated with sulphur, not one is left among the combs...

THE ADVANCE OF WOMEN. A LADY PRESIDENT. The cry is still, they come i Mrs Yates stands no longer before an admiring world as the one lady municipal "'chairz man." Nethsrseal is the namd of .i Leicestershire village which possesses-a' leading English paper prefers to use the word " enjoys "-the distinction of being the only parish in England -whose Council is presided over by a: lady. How that honor was achieved is a very pretty little story in deed. Typical of the times. Active politics are very much recognised in these parish Councils, and party lines are clearly and distinctly maintained. Four Radicals, we are told, and three Con servatives compose theNetlherseal Coun cil. The original chairman, who rejoices I m the not wholly unfamiliar name of Shakespeare, was of the former ilk. The Council had evidently studied the working of the Dlelbourure and Metropolitan Board of Works, and thought. it woulld be better managed by laving an outsider chairman. That would give each representat...

XMATERNASL AFFLECTION. " The most affectionate mother I ever knew," said Colonel Goslinetcn, "end I be lieve all mothers are affectionate, is the wife of my young nephew, Claude Gosliugton. When their young child was sick its mother took its medicine for it. It was some sort o[ biiter medicine, and when the time came to take it the child said, 'I can't take ; it is nasty !' ' N ell 'oo needn't tahe it, Regie; mnamma will take it for 'oo. And she did, and thereafterat the appointed times the took Regie's medicine for him regrularly. Regie got well, natwith standing that he didn't get his medicine; but what child could stay long sick with such a mother as that!"-" New York Sun."

AGRICULTURAL The Wisconsin Dairy School, The Wisconsin Dairy School is one of the most onccessful institutions of its kind in Amencra. The novelty of its purpose and its unusual methods and equipment make it very curious and interesting. The institution offers courses of study m the theory of dairying, be sides being equipped to give practical instruc tion in all kinds of dairy work. The school is sustained at great expense, but it is believed that the outlay is justified by the advantages re sulting to the dirying interests of the State. The school is planned to accommodate 100 students, besides those taking courses in farm dasiryig. The course of study covers a term of twelve weeks, and during this time the student is required to pass some ten written examina tions and several oral ones. The main school building is a structure several stories in height. with a frontage of 95ft and a depth of i4ft. It is provided with an office, a room with lockers where each student's work clothes...

A WOMAN OF THE TIME. IOVE. INSURRECTION, INSANITY. Theroicne de Mericonrt was the daughter of a farmer in easy circumstacces at Liege, in Belgium, wheneshe passed the early years of her life. When Liege revolted against the tyranny of its Prinee-Bishop, who was sup. por:ed by the Emperor of Austria, the Revo lution was crushed, aund numbers of the re volting Liegenis took refuge in France, where they served in the army of their adopted country, akin to them in language, manners, sentiment, and race. Theroigne, piquanto, pretty, and facionating to an Irresis table. degree, had been loved and deserted by a German noble. When so many of her compatriots quitted their country, Theroigne did so as well. She took refuge in England, where her beauty and charm gained her MANY RICH LOVERS, for whom sne seoems to have cared little. After a time she went to France. The memorable day of 5th October, 1789, was her first appearance on the stage of French poli tical life, when the women of Paris ro...

Large Farms. The man who occupies 1,000 acres of landwill almost certainly act like old Muller-he's got it, and he will keep it, and will get more if he can. The clay-eaters get thinner and poorer the more they eat, and the man who ha got "earth hunger" will neither obtain comfort nor riches through indulgence in this vice. Contentment is happiness, and "the little farm well tilled keeps the purse well filled.." It is better to have large returns from a little labor well directedthan to have smallprofits (orbiglosses) from a deal of labor badly laid out. Twenty bushels per acre from 50 acres is a better yield than 15 bushels per acre from 100 acres, and the man with the smaller area of well.tilledland will be happier, richer, and more healthy at the end of 20 years than the occupier of a very large farm that must be neglected and badly culti rated because of its size and the difficulty of properly managing it. The finest and softest wool is always on the shoulders of the sheep. An e...

Peppermint : Its Culture. and s... es. Mitn (Irenths) belonging to the family Labiate, is cultivated as an article of trade, very largely in Europe and Asia. Five different sorts are cultivated, Mentha piperita, or Eng lish mint; Mentha crisps, curl mint or Ger mant mint; Mentha virlidis, simple or spear mmint: Montha pulegeim, pennyroyal: and Menthe eativa, marsh whorled mint. All these aorta are grownfcr the oil and for the leaves, which are used in the preparations of medi cines, perfunms, and in the manufacture of candy and aromatic drinks, especially in the reparation of koas, a popular beverage of Rtussia. The cultivation of mint requires little labor. It is grown iu beds. and being perennial doos not demand yearly sowing. It happens, howr ever ,.that the roots perish through frost, in which case .additional sowings are necesary ; young roots ar, used for that purpose. The only nursing consists in weeding. They are usually sown here in August to November, in rows 15n. apart, a...

A lfIylsterious Bank Robbery, BY J. Ts HORNIBROOK. if any one had walked into the office of a well-known Glasgow bank on a certain morn ing about ten or fifteen years ago, they could not have failed to notice an unusual commo tion among the officials. It was evident that something serious and alarming had happened. The clerks stood in groups of twos and threes, eagerly discussing the all absorbing topic, while the manager's face wore an anxious and perplexed expression. Of all those present none appeared so dis tressed as the cashier, Mr Henry Radford; and not without good reason. On the even ing before he had carefully balanced his books, locked up the cash in the safe, and handed the key to the manager, according to custom. WVhen, however, he came to ex amine the money in the morning he found to his dismay that a bag containing five hundred sovereigns was miesing. He at once reported the circnmatance to Mr Harding, the manager, aus an exhaustive search was made, but without succes...

The Way of the Rain. I heard an old farmer talk one day, Telling his listeners how In the wide, new country, far away, The rainfall follows the plough. "As fast as they break it up, you see,". And turn the heart to the sun, As they open the furrows deep and free. And the tillage is begun. "The earth grew mellow; and more and more It holds and sends to the sky A moisture it never had before When its face was hard and dry. "And so, whenever the ploughshares run The clouds run overhead; And the soil that works, and lots in the sun With water is always fed." I wonder if that old farmer knew The halE of his simple word, Or guessed the message that heavenly-true, Within it was hidden and heard ? It fell on my ear by chance that day; But the gladness lingers now, To think it is hlways God's dear way That the rainfall follows the plough. Mns A. D. T. WErrINEr.

She Was a Woman. lNO OCCASION FOR SURPRISE. The sun beat down that blisering after noon on the hlittle adobe cabin just beyond the arroyo, and on the far side in the shade sat two sweltering cow punchers with a pack of cards between them. It was too hot for even this' mildxreeise. but it served to keep their minds off the weather and they played lazily along. At last one of them threw his cards down. "Byvgravy, Billy," he exclaimed, "sI can't play any more." "What's the matter?" inquired Bill. , Too hot for you ?" " No; tain't that, theugh the Lord knows it's mosn hot enough for anything. It's that little girl down there at old Slocum's." "What's she got to do with the game'" asked Bill in surprise. "Nothing much, I guess, but a good deal with me." "How ". and Bill picked up the pack and began shuffling the cards aimlessly. S"Oh, I don't know." "Struck on her? inquired Bill with a laugh, which etruck.his companion as rather harsh. 'No, exactly, I guess." " She's the purtiest thing i...

At Death's Door. W'HAT IT IS LIKE. Dr Preston King, in the May number of the "Medical Magazine," gives a very in. teresting account of a personal experience of pneumonia, in the course of which he tells how he ,felt when death seemed near. "When we are well we think with a dread of death. . . . But when illness comes, and the end is very near, then all that dread seems gone; and though perfect con sciousness relmains, there is no fear of death; none of that chill dread we used to know; merely a peaceful, tired feeling; we long fcr rest: we only want toesleep. We are sorry to be leaving those we love; not for any selfsh reasons though, but because we know that they will miss us, and will grieve when we are gone; for our.?lves we do not mind; we only want rest.' THE MrIG BtrAC WALL OF MIIST. This, at least, Dr. Preston King adds, was whkat he eaemed to feel:-"Therewas no fear, only I wanted rest; and that rest I surely soon shoeld find in the high black wall of mist I seemed to see be...

"bMy dear John-" writes my nees. paper 'customer, after perusirng the ahove letter-" your correspondent may be des. cribed as a cheerful unirxture of the ideal and the practical. For mrself, such riews as I possess 'on the subject of currencyare as broad, in the abstract, as the road tht leads to the ' demnition bowwows.' andas narrow, in the concrete, as the path inthe other direction. I have a large paring contract in the way iof good iatenion;, butsthe supply of material is lilited. 'Twas ever thus with a l really bsenro lent persons. As a matter of dry mtne tary fact, I never experienced difiicultyia getting rid of any kind of currency, I have done a good trade in Fiji with s few old Tower muskets and a packreto beads. In the score circumscr;hed ares of civilisation I have scusred a dozen of kisses on an investment of a bottle of Eas bouquet. Were I unfortunate enough to pay an official visit to Colonel Bull I should find a stick of tobacco of more use than. ninny shekels. It ha...

THE WIDE WORLD. A statistician has learned that the annual aggregate circulation of the papers of the world is calculated to be twelve billion cl copies. To grasp any idea of this magniu - tude, we may state that it would cover no hi fewer than 10,450 square miles of surface; pl that it is printed on 781,250 tons of paper; A and further, that if the number, twelve i, billions, represented, instead of copies. m seconds, it would take over 33; years for hr them to elapse. In lien of this arrange- se tnent, we might press and pile them vetti- a rally upward to gradually reaching our ce highest mountains; topping all these and even the highest Alps, the pile would reach. m' the magnificent altitude of 490, or, in round S' numbers, 500 miles. Calculating that the c average man spends five minutes reading his paper in the day (this is a very low esti- le mate), we find that the people of the world lii altogether annually occupy time equivalent ol to 100,000 years reading the papers. ; ] f...

Horticultural- Hints. Farmers and gardeners, when selecting any of their root crops far seed, should be careful to tthe only thoserpecimens which show a small or neat top or head of leaves with a smooth and clean root. The largest and coarsest should never be selected for raising seed. Do not trust to memory when saving seeds; the name of the varietynsnd the date on which it was gathered should always be 'written on the oackets before they ere packed away. With out their proper names it is impossible to dis. tinguish one variety from another. SApple seeds or pips for raising seedling stocks should be saved only from the strongest and most vigorous trees. - Sow the seed in rows f t. 1 apart; they will be large enough to either bud or graft the following year. " * Winter dessert pears are remarkably scarce and high in price this season, and have. been so for several years past. Dessert apples, on the contrary, appear fully equal to the demand if not a glut in tho market, and intending...

The Vineyard. For a long time the question has been dis cussed whether the vine could be manured with out altering the quality of the wine produced, and whether the manure should be put directly into the vineyard, or first decayed in the com. post heap. It has been found, however, that the vines can be safely and profitably manured with fresh animal droppings, which should be dog or ploughed in as deeply as pcssible, as soon as the vintage is over. When the manure is applied in the autumn cr as early ns possible after the harvest it will have time to decay, a8d all its soluble ingredients will be evenly distributed through the roil by means of the raino and therefore it will become accessible to all the roots afi the viunethe following sprinr. As soon as the soil can be easily turned up alter autumn rains will thus be the best time to spread manure, as when covered deeply no ingreuients benclicial to the vine can be lost. There is, however, in some instances, an excess of ammonia in...

A STATESMAN AND HItS "SINFANT." Mr Chamberlain, in his speech recently made an amusing reference to the latest Banvruptcy Act, of which he was the author. "I regard the Bankruptcy Act (ho said) very much as Mark Twain regarded his first-born infant. One day he was dandling the child upon his knees, and his wife came in and said, ' Well, Samuel, you can't deny that you love that baby dearly.' 'No,'said]Mark Twain, 'I can't admit that,but I don't mind confessing that I do respect the little thing for his father'ssake.' (Laughter.) Now that is precisely my position towards the Insolvency Act-(renewed laughter;-and if you can improve in any way the condition of my infant by takingoff a limb here or there, or by addinganother limb, all I can say is I shall be most happy to assist .your etforts. But at the same time I warn you that, do what you may, you will never get all bank. rupts to pay 20a in the pound, and you will never get all lawyers to do their work for nothing, and as loni as t...